River and the Tin Dog
by rosexknight
Summary: One  night, River Song comes across a tin dog. A friend she can tell the secrets of the man she loves that she could tell no one else. Little does she know who the tin dog's owner is...
1. Chapter 1

River and the Tin Dog

Chapter one - Trinkets

The Doctor owed her.

Big time.

She shivered in the cold as she walked down the street from her work, the small trinket in her hand. Today was supposed to be completely uneventful. Totally sane. But nooooooo.

River had been cataloging recent finds that Other Dave and Anita were bringing in. They had just come back from a pretty interesting dig. River had been looking through the box of smaller artifacts when she found it. A small, old, almost irrelivant pocket watch. Or rather, it would have been irrelivant if it wasn't for the writing on it. She recognized that writing too.

Old High Gallifreyan.

It was his all right. And now she could lose her job for swiping it from the agency. Oh well. That man was worth it. Besides, she would get her revenge.

She walked to her car, shivering in the cold night and pulling her jacket tighter around her. The report said it would start snowing tonight. River smiled at the thought. She didn't like the cold but she LOVED the snow.

She reached her cars and brought out her keys, thinking of a clever message to send him on the psycic paper. She grinned, thinking of what to wear when he popped up. It would be great to see him again, but a little teasing never hurt.

She was about to unlock her door when...

"Systems...Systems failing...Mistress?"

River nearly leapt out of her skin, startled by the mechanical voice coming from behind her. She spun around, reaching for her belt and her sonic device. It functioned as a sonic blaster, a sonic cannon, and at it's turbulant fold, a sonic disruptor. River was quite proud of it. Especially since the Doctor only has a screwdriver.

Ha ha. She was dissing the sonic.

No one was behind her. Only an alleyway that was growing dark with the setting sun. River held her sonic device firmly in her hand, taking a causiously step forward. "Who's there?" she called, feeling foolish to be talking to something mechanical.

In her experiance, things with mechanical voices were often trouble. Though this one seemed different...

"Systems...failing." The voice came again.

River walked deeper into the alley. Her eyes adjusted and she was able to make out a dumpster with trash cans around it. Among the trash cans was what looked like some sort of robotic pet.

"I am K-9." it said, answering her question obediantly, it's red lights on it's face above his snout flashing as he talked.

River stood for a moment, confused. The robot dog looked damaged and run-down. River put her sonic back in it's place on her belt and kneeled beside it. She usually wasn't one for pets, but this one seemed different. She had never seen this model before. It had it's own charm.

"K-9." She said, putting a hand on it's head, between it's satallite-like ears. "Where's your master, K-9?"

"Master is traveling. He left me to look after mistress."

"And where is she?"

"She left." K-9 said simply.

River frowned. The poor dog had been abandoned. "Why?"

The dog paused as it's red "talk" lights and a few others blinked with calculation. "Unable to compute. Reason is unknown. Systems failing...estimated function time left: thirty seconds."

River examined the old, run-down tin dog. Poor thing wasn't in such bad shape. River figured it just needed a few new parts and a good polishing. Just some tender love and care. "How bout I take you home with me and fix you up? Would you like that?"

The tin dog's head lifted to look at River's face. She could see her reflection in the small camera lense on his eye lights. "Affirmative." it said in it's mechanical voice that somehow held emotion. It's head dropped and all function stopped.

"Good dog." River said with a smile, picking up the mechanical pet.

She liked the idea of keeping K-9. He needed someone, and so did she. It would be nice to have someone around while he was away. Especially if the one was K-9. She didn't know why, but he was different.

Looking at the tin dog as she put it in the passengers seat of her car, it reminded her of him...and she liked that.

She walked around to the driver's side and realized she was still holding the pocket watch. She nearly forgot. She put the trinket in the console beside her and pulled her psycic paper from her pocket. She sent the message before putting it beside the watch and driving off into the night.

"Found something interesting.  
Please come, sweetie.  
My house, quick as you can. x"


	2. Chapter 2

**River and the Tin Dog**  
_  
Chapter two_

"Just a few more little tinkers and..."

The tin dog on River's kitchen table sprang to life once again. River beamed, overcome with joy at the sight of K-9 coming back online.

"Systems...Systems restoring." it said, it's red "talk" lights blinking even brighter to it's words than before. "All systems are functioning at 100%."

River beamed at him, a wave of triumph washing over her. "Brilliant!" she said. "See? That's all you needed. A few new parts and a good polishing."

"Affirmative." K-9's ears and tail wagged back and forth happily. River laughed, petting the metal doggy.

"So, I've never seen your model before." River said, starting to put away her tools. "The technology in you is a bit more advanced than this time's. Where did you come from?"

Lights on K-9 blinked. "Apologies, miss. Calculations show that I am more advanced than the technology in this time. Technology will not advanced to my level for another seventy years."

"Howd you get to be here then? Seventy years in the past?" she asked. It wasn't every day a 51st century girl is met by near-52nd century technology...okay, for her it was ALMOST not every day.

"My master was a time traveler. He left me in my Mistress's time to look after her. But she castes me away to this time with a time agent."

River's eyebrows raised. "Time travel, eh? I thought it was something like that. You're lucky I know a thing or two about time travel and future technology or you I never would have been able to fix you."

"Miss has time traveled?" K-9 asked.

River came back to the table, leaning on her elbows and resting her head on her hands. "Boy have I...I've seen different times and different planets. I traveled with a man..." River smiled. "Oh that man...I've seen whole armies drop their weapons at his feet then turn and run. Then he'd just swagger back to his ship and open it with a snap of his fingers. He's saven the universe so many times...He's amazing."

"Affermative." K-9 said.

"I still don't know his name. Not his REAL name at least. But I suppose it doesn't matter. He calls himself 'The Doctor.' Bit odd, but it really suits him."

K-9's head raised and his ears and tail wagged, as if something River said interested him. Or he recognized something. "Calculations of emotions indicate that Miss has feelings for this Doctor." he said. He may have been a machine, but he could sence emotions the same as any other dog, and he could sence her emotions.

River blinked at him, then smiled. "I suppose I do." she looked out the window. "I fancy him. I really do. How could a girl not fall for a men like that?"

Lights blinked on K-9. "Cannot compute."

River laughed, stroking the tin dog's head. "Exactly, boy. You're an insightful little thing." she said with a grin."

"Affirmative." K-9 said, nodding.

River smiled, then leaned in close to him. Having someone you could tell your secrets to was nice. Why hadn't she gotten a dog years ago? She had her diary, of course, but actually saying things out loud was such a relief.

"Can you keep a secret?" River whispered to him.

The robot nodded. "Affirmative."

River smiled, still petting the tin dog. She found herself quickly getting attatched to her K-9.

"The Doctor..." she started. "It's more than feelings of fancy. I think I've fallen in love with him. But I think it's one-sided. I mean, he's nine-hundred and something years old...he's traveled all over the universe, all over time...think of all the girls I have to compete with."

K-9 paused. "But Miss loves him? Miss will not leave him?"

River laughed. "Not even if he three me out."

"Why is Miss not with him if she loves him?"

River frowned. "I still have studies here. And he refuses to take me on trips he deems 'too dangerous.' I suppose it's because he cares, but it still annoys me."

K-9 seemed to be staring at her. "Miss will not give up?"

He almost sounded hopeful. It made River smile. "How couldni give up on the man I love?"

K-9's lights blinked again. "Cannot compute."

River laughed, and then heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS. It faded into existance on the other side of the table, the whirr echoing around her kitchen.

"Speak of the devil." she said, as K-9 turned around on the table, his ears and tale wagging happily.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, straightening his bowtie. River couldn't help but smile when she saw him. "Hello sweetie." she said.

"Master!" K-9 said, wheeling over to the Doctor's side of the table.

"K-9! Hey boy!" the Doctor exclaimed, his face lighting up.

River's blood went cold. Master. So K-9 was the Doctor's dog. And River had just poured her soul out to him.


	3. Chapter 3

**River and the Tin Dog**

Chapter three

River stood tensly, trying to seem casual. She wondered if the Doctor could hear her heart pounding out of her chest. She definetly could.

"You recognize me!" the Doctor said, beaming as he started petting his old friend.

"Affirmative, master." K-9 said again, his ears and tail wagging. The tin dog seemed estatic to see him again.

River smiled as she watched the two friends reunite. The Doctor was suddenly a softer person with K-9. More human. It was adorable. Still, though, fright swam through her. The dog she'd just poured her soul out to was the Doctor's dog. How did that work? She supposed it didnt matter now. She just hoped that robot could keep a secret...

"River, where'd you find him? How'd you know he was mine?" then he remembered. "Hang on." he looked back at K-9. "You're not mine. You're Sara-Jane's. What are you doing here?"

Ah. Sara-Jane. Now River understood.

"Mistress does not want me anymore...so I was sent to this time..." K-9 explained sadly. "I was damaged, but miss fixed me up."

"Yeah she's good at fixing damaged things isn't she?" the Doctor said, giving River a significant look. He was talking about more than just damaged machines.

"Affirmative." K-9 said, nodding his robotic head.

"So how'd you know, River?" he asked again.

"I didn't." River said, reaching into her pocket for the old watch. It didn't look old at all. Just dirty. "I found this. I was documenting some old World War I artifacts and there it was. I figured you may want it. Besides, a Time Lord watch isn't exactly a thing to be sitting in a dusty storage room. I found K-9 in an alley and brought him home."

"Really?" he asked, not looking up from K-9. "Thats odd. Didn't think you were much of a pet person."

"I'm not. But you're gone so often..." she caught herself. "And this little guy had charm. I fancy him."

The Doctor looked at her, his eyes concerned. She offered a smile and held up the watch.

"This, I believe, is yours." she said.

The Doctor's eyes widened as he took the watch. "Yes. It is." he stuck it in a jacket pocket. "Thank you, River. That watch is all I have left of...well yknow besides the TARDIS..."

"Yeah thought you'd want it. What's it do?" she asked.

"Holds my Time Lord self. Paired with th cameleon arch I can re-write my DNA and become human. I've only used it once. To escape the Family of Blood."

River considered this. Human Doctor..."Could you do it again?" she asked.

The Doctor looked at her in suprise, then his face grew solemn. "No."

River frowned. Of course. It was way too good to be true.

The Doctor was sonicing K-9 now. "All systems right. Damages fixed. And oporating capacity at..."

"One hundred and ten, Master." K-9 answered.

The Doctor smiled. "Perfect! You're all set for an adventure then, eh?"

"Affirmative."

"Alright then! Allonsy!" he picked K-9 up and headed for the door. River stayed put, watching the two old friends go off.

Suddenly, she felt left out. The Doctor seemed perfectly content with K-9. She turned to put the rest of her tools away, supposing it was documentation for her tomorrow as well.

"Oy! Song!"

River turned, seeing the Doctor holding the door open for her. "You coming?"

River grinned. "Oh well. I suppose I could go, but tomorrow I've gotta document dozens of items. Then it's dinner with my mates and I've got so much cleaning to do..."

"River..." the Doctor said, outstreaching a hand to her. "Come on."

River's heart skipped a beat as she took his hand. Her and the Doctor in the TARDIS. Now they had K-9 too.

Ahhh...Perfection.


	4. Chapter 4

River and the Tin Dog

_Chapter four  
_  
River had missed the ol' TARDIS. And, judging by the content hum the TARDIS made as River entered behind the Doctor, she had missed River too...or K-9.

"Alright team TARDIS," The Doctor said, "Where to next?"

K-9 wheeled around the console, "The TARDIS has been changed." he observed.

"Yep!" The Doctor said with a smile, "Do you like it?"

"Affirmative."

River came over to the console, pressing buttons and pulling levers as she always did when she was helping the Doctor pilot. However, as she was about to push a button to set the TARDIS in motion, the Doctor's hand landed on top of hers. Her cheeks went a bit pink as she looked over at the Doctor questioningly.

"What is it? I thought we were going." she said.

"We are." the Doctor said, "But you, my dear River, have not only given my watch back, but also helped K-9. It's my turn to do something nice for you." he said, lightly tapping her nose, "Now sit."

River smiled, going to the couch to do what he was told. The Doctor smiled, now buzzing around the console.

"So, Miss Song, where to? Anyone you want to meet? I know! Let's go have tea with Winston Churchill! He's a brilliant guy. Or, we could see the Globe Theatre! What do you think? Shakespeare's first performance in the globe!"

River considered this. "No. I want a planet."

"Alright! How bout Barcelona? They've got dogs with no noses! Or the Galaxy of Zuniga? It's a great place. I know!" he pulled the lever and the TARDIS was off.

River gave him a skeptical look, "Where are we going?" she asked.

"Its a suprise." he said as the TARDIS rattled on through the time vortex.

K-9 wheeled over to the console, his nose control chord extending to a small charging hub.

"Whats he doing?" River asked.

"Checking the systems." the Doctor said, "Running basic diagnostics and all that."

"Master, the diagnostics are complete." K-9 said, "Do you wish to know the malfunctions?"

Suddenly, the TARDIS jerked, sending the trio tumbling to the floor.

"The TARDIS had been brought off path, master." K-9 said.

"Thank you K-9." te Doctor said, rushing to the console. "We're caught in a tractor beam!"

River struggled to stand up, but the TARDIS was rattling too much for her to properly keep her balance.

"Hold on." the Doctor said, holding K-9 and River secure.

Suddenly the jerking stopped and everything fell still.

"Alright." River said. "I officially hate tractor beams."

"Affirmative." K-9 agreed.

The Doctor gave her a smile, standing, "Environment checks." he said.

River stood, walking to the TARDIS screen. "We're in...well I don't really know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" the Doctor asked, coming to read over her shoulder.

"I mean I don't know! It doesn't say."

Sure enough, the screen was dark. The Doctor frowned.

"Something must be blocking the signal." he said, "K-9 with me. I'm gonna have a look."

"Affirmative, master." K-9 said, wheeling after the Doctor to the door.

"Oy! What about me?" River asked.

"I'll come get you in a sec. Just stay here."

River rolled her eyes. "Yeah like that'll happen." she said, following him out.

The Doctor laughed as she shut the door behind her. "Cant keep you away."

"Nope." River said with a smile.

They examined their surroundings. It looked like the tractor beam had pulled them into some sort of hub of a ship.

"Call me crazy..." River said as they walked (and wheeled) down the deserted cooridor of the space ship. On their sides were control rooms, medical wards, and lounges. All of which were empty. "But if someone was captured in a tractor beam wouldn't the ones doing the captureing come to see what they caught?"

"Maybe there was no one to come see." the Doctor said. He stopped, and the group found themselves in a circular room with many windows looking out into space. The Doctor frowned, putting his finger in his mouth and holding it up. "Middle of the ship. K-9, do a scan for life will you?"

"Affirmative." K-9 said. It held it's head up and lights flashed. After a moment he said, "No life besides us detected."

River's eyebrows raised in suprise. "How is that possible? A tractor beam needs an operator doesn't it?"

"Apparently not..." the Doctor said, "Unless...the operator isn't human..."

"What are they then?" River asked.

Suddenly footsteps echoed down the cooridor. In the footsteps their could be heard faint ticking and clockwork noises.

"Looks like we're about to find out..." the Doctor said with a nervous gulp.

"Affirmative." K-9 agreed.


	5. Chapter 5

**River and the Tin Dog**

Chapter five  
  
From around the corner of the cooridor appeared many clockwork droids dressed in old French outfits with masks that resembled clowns.

"Oh...yes that explains it." the Doctor breathed nervously.

"Explains what?" River asked, nervously.

"Ship of repair droids on auto pilot. But ship breaks down..." the Doctor explained calmly, though still at ninety miles an hour. "Ship is fully automated so there's no way the repair droids can fix it because there's no tools. Except the tractor beam..."

"You will be used to fix the ship." one of the droids said in a mechanical voice.

"One problem!" the Doctor said, "My technology isn't compatible with this hunk of junk. There's really no point in keeping us here."

The droids paused, seeming to calculate. "You will be used to fix the ship." it repeated, and started to walk towards them.

"Run!" the Doctor ordered, darting away.

River scooped up K-9 and took off after the Doctor. Their footsteps echoed around them as they ran down the ship's cooridors. Finally, the Doctor spotted a door and opened it.

"In here!" he said. "Go go!"

River darted into the dark room and the Doctor followed her. The room was a cramped closet used to store dried food. River took a moment to catch her breath.

"What is it...with you...and running?" she gasped.

The Doctor grinned at her, though she could barely make it out in the darkness. "Oh come River. It's loads of fun!"

River glared at him, then noticed just how close they WERE in the cramped closet. She could practically feel his breath on her head as they both tried to catch their breath.

"So, why were they chasing us?" she asked, focusing on the tin dog in her arms to hide her blush.

"They need us to repair the ship. Literally." the Doctor said.

River gave him a quizzical look.

"The droids will use organs to repair the ship's damage." K-9 said, his eyes lighting up the whole closet.

"Precisely." the Doctor said. "And they won't stop until they've hunted us down and repaired their ship with us. Literally."

"Oh wizard." River sighed sarcastically. "What do we do, then?"

"We either run back to the TARDIS, or..." he shoved his hands in his pockets, a gesture that only made him seem closer to River. "We repair the ship."

It took River a moment to recover from the butterflies in her tummy and register his words. "H-how?"

The Doctor grinned, patting K-9. "With him!"

River couldn't take it any longer. The close proximity to the man she felt so strongly for was way too much. She handed him K-9.

"Right. You do that. I'll distract the droids." she said so quickly the Doctor could barely make it out and dashed off.

The Doctor just stood there, utterly confused. "She's acting odd." he said

"Affirmative, master." K-9 said

"Any idea why?" he asked with a laugh.

"Affirmative."

The Doctor considered this. For if it was one thing he still couldn't understand in his ninehundred years and eleven lives, it was women. He glanced around as if to see if anyone was watching and set K-9 down.

He wanted to know what was up with River, and maybe make it better if he could. He looked the Tin Dog straight in the eye.

"Tell me."


	6. Chapter 6

**River and the Tin Dog**

Chapter six

There was a pause as lights on the small robotic dog flashed. He looked up at the Doctor, seeming to make eye contact with him as he debated everything.

"Negative." he said.

The Doctor was taken off guard. It wasn't like K-9 to disobey or refuse an order. "And why not?"

"I cannot tell you." K-9 said simply.

The Doctor gave him a confused look. He didn't like this. It was obvious that K-9 knew something he wasn't about to tell.

"Why can't you K-9?" the Doctor asked, more gently, trying to coax it out of him.

"I cannot say." K-9 repeated. "It is a secret."

"A secret you can't tell me?" he asked, his mind trying to figure out all the connections.

"Affirmative."

The Doctor sighed. "Alright. Well then, let's get to the cockpit." he said, "We need to repair the ship before River gets caught."

"Affirmative."

"Let's go."

-

River snuck down the halls of the ship, stepping quietly as she searched for the repair Droids. Finally, she found a group examining the TARDIS.

She frowned as the drones switched through many tools in their hands to fin the right one to break into the TARDIS would be. River took a deep breath and stepped out.

"That technology isn't compatible." she said, protective of the blue box. "You lot should know that."

The group of droids turned to her and River felt her heartbeat pick up. Those clown faces were creepy.

"You are compatible." the leader said, and in unison they stepped towards her, their clockwork ticking away.

"Maybe, but you have to catch me first." she said, then turned and ran.

She came to a cross in the hallways of the ship and at first she thought she'd lost them, but the ticking coming from behind her proved her wrong.

She darted down a hallway, rounding a corner only to come face-to-face with even more clown faces. She doubled back, coming to a halt back where she's started. Now the droids were coming down every hallway. Towards her.

She was surrounded.

"Oh Doctor...please hurry..."

**Sorry for the short chapter…but don't worry the next one will be soon. Look on my profile for the system of the updates of my stories okay? And as always, reviews are love!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello everyone! It has certainly been a while! I am VERY sorry for the long hiatus but life caught up to me in a big way. I have been trying to find time to write and I am now cutting back a few things to do so. I wanna get back to writing and stuff more than anything haha. Anyway, I offer you all of my sincerest apologies! I promise I will be better! Enjoy this next chapter. And as always, reviews are LOVED!**

River and the Tin Dog

_Chapter Seven_

The Doctor burst into the cockpit, K-9 following behind. No lights were on except for the red alert light, bathing the cockpit in red light over and over again.

"Looks like we're alone for the moment." the Doctor said, taking his Sonic Screwdriver from his pocket.

"Affirmative." K-9 said with a nod.

The Doctor started waving the Sonic around, scanning everything he could to find the source of the problem. He only hoped it was an easy problem he could fix.

"Ha ha! Bingo!" he said, snapping his fingers. "There's barely any power coming into the ship. Something must have happened to the battery. K-9, do a scan to see the area that needs to be repaired?"

"Affirmative, master." K-9 said, rolling over to a control box and plugging a chord into it. "Scan in progress."

"Good boy!" he said, taking the communicator River had given him before from his pocket. "River? Can you hear me?"

There was a long pause.

"River? River come in."

Panic began to swim through the Doctor. River had been acting strange, but it was unlike her to not answer.

"K-9! Hurry with that scan!" the Doctor said, turning to the controls of the ship.

"Affirmative master."

The Doctor went to work, sonicing the ship controls, trying to give what little power he could. "If I can get the security cameras working, I can find River." he said, honing his sonic energy onto one area.

"Master, source of problem detected." K-9 said, "Battery is not charged."

"Oh is that all?" the Doctor practically groaned, "Well then K-9, direct any excess power to the battery. Let's get it charged."

"Negative, master. Solution impossible." K-9 said.

"What do you mean? The ships lights are still on. There has to be SOME power still in the vessel."

"My systems detect that the battery and ship are not powered by electricity."

The Doctor stared at him in disbelief. "What else could they be powered by?"

K-9 paused as his lights blinked as he calculated "Kinetic energy."

Realization dawned on the Doctor. "Of COURSE!" He exclaimed, slapping his forehead.

He abandoned the controls, and scooped up K-9. "Come on, we have to find River. Can you lock in to her communicator's signal?"

"Affirmative master." K-9 said, his satellite ears, pointing the way he felt the signal.

The Doctor beamed "Excellent! Now tell me why she was acting so strange."

"Negative."

"Oh well. It was worth a try." he said with a laugh, sprinting in River's direction. "Ready to save the day in the nick of time K-9?"

"Affirmative." K-9 said happily.

"Geronimo!"

As the Doctor was nearing the control room, River's mind raced. Clockwork Droids surrounded her from every exit. She glanced around, trying to find something to help her, but there was nothing. River had no choice.

She pulled the gun she kept in it's holster for last resort measures only out and aimed at the French clown droid.

"Alright then. Come on. I'm not going down without a fight." she said, sweeping her gun left and right.

However, the aroids were not deterred and came closer. River pressed her back to the wall, waiting for the opportune time to shoot.

Suddenly, they stopped. River frowned, her body tense, waiting.

"You will be used." one's voice came before it held up a hand and a strange purple smoke poured from it.

River gasped, holding a hand over her mouth and holding her breath. She only got one or two shots out before she had to breathe, and was overcome by darkness.

As she fell to the ground, the droids approached, picking her up and causing her communicator to fall to the floor with a voice coming from it asking "River? Can you hear me? River? Come in..."


End file.
